Ramona and Dan Ustian of Navistar step up for hungry-kids program

Navistar CEO Dan Ustian and his wife, Ramona, are among the supporters of the Blessings in a Backpack caravan that's in Chicago this week. The organization is here to drum up support for the program, which feeds school-children on weekends.

Dan Ustian

So far, the program has helped five Illinois schools. Volunteers give out backpacks full of food on Fridays for kids to take home for the weekend. The bags are returned on Mondays. Supporters say it puts food in bellies and gets kids to school.

The Ustians got involved after talking to Stan Curtis, the organization's founder and a friend.

"If you have 62% of public-school students in America on free or reduced meals, there's a high likelihood there's not food at home on the weekends," said Ms. Ustian, who got to know Mr. Curtis through mutual friends in Louisville, Ky., where the Blessings program was started.

When Ms. Ustian learned more about the program, she was hooked. Getting her husband on board also was an easy sell.

"Dan's not a big talker, so when I heard him say, 'Wow, that's a great idea,' I knew he was passionate about it," says his wife.

Navistar is a sponsor of the Blessings program at Whittier Elementary on 23rd Street, which is a few blocks from where Mr. Ustian grew up. The company also is sponsoring the caravan, along with Michigan-based Meijer grocery stores, as it drives through the Midwest this month to garner support.

The Ustians are among a high-profile group of supporters. Pop stars Hilary Duff and Miley Cyrus and celebrity chef Paula Deen are among those lending a hand.

Liz Murray, the New York Times best-selling author who grew up homeless only to graduate from Harvard, is taking part in the caravan, too